Information processing device, information processing method, and program

ABSTRACT

There is provided an information processing device including an acquisition section configured to acquire a curved movement of a body of a user as an operation, a display control section configured to display an object in a virtual three-dimensional space, and a process execution section configured to execute a process on the object based on the acquired operation. The object may be arranged on a first curved plane based on a virtual position of the user set in the virtual three-dimensional space, the first curved plane corresponding to the curved movement.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO PRIOR APPLICATION

This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.13/167,793 (filed on Jun. 24, 2011), which claims priority to JapanesePatent Application No. 2010-184007 (filed on Aug. 19, 2010), which areall hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety.

BACKGROUND

The present disclosure relates to an information processing device, aninformation in processing method, and a program. In particular, thepresent disclosure relates to an information processing device, aninformation processing method, and a program for acquiring an operationinstruction based on a movement of the body of a user.

In recent years, technologies for acquiring an operation instruction toan information processing device such as a PC (Personal Computer) basedon a movement of the body of a user have been developed. A movement ofthe body of a user is acquired by, for example, recognizing a body partsuch as a hand of a user through an image analysis or the like using amarker attached to the user, a controller gripped by the user, orspeckle patterns and further identifying the position of the recognizedbody part using a three-dimensional measurement method such astriangulation or TOF (Time Of Flight).

As an example of such technologies, JP 2009-528514A discloses atechnology of using a gesture of a user, which has been identifiedthrough an image analysis using speckle patterns, as an input to acomputer application. In addition, JP 2008-530661A discloses atechnology of mapping a physical space in which a user exists onto avirtual space on a system and reflecting a movement of the user acquiredin the physical space into a cursor control.

SUMMARY

However, when a user attempts to move his/her hand in the left-to-rightdirection while stretching the arm horizontally, the movement path ofthe hand will be an approximately arcuate line that is based on ashoulder joint as the center, which means that a natural body movementof a user is not necessarily linear. In contrast, in many applicationsof PCs and the like, movements in straight lines in, for example, thehorizontal direction, the vertical direction, or the depth direction arepredicted.

Therefore, when a movement of the body of a user is used as an operationinstruction to an information processing device as disclosed in JP2009-528514A and JP 2008-530661A, for example, there is a problem inthat the user should consciously adjust the movement of his/her bodysuch that it becomes a movement in a straight line for issuing a desiredoperation instruction, and thus the user may be forced to make anunnatural body movement in some cases.

In light of the foregoing, it is desirable to provide an informationprocessing device, an information processing method, and a program,which are novel and improved, and with which a user can issue a desiredoperation instruction to a displayed object through a natural bodymovement.

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, there is providedan information processing device including an acquisition sectionconfigured to acquire a curved movement of a body of a user as anoperation, a display control section configured to display an object ina virtual three-dimensional space, and a process execution sectionconfigured to execute a process on the object based on the acquiredoperation. The object may be arranged on a first curved plane based on avirtual position of the user set in the virtual three-dimensional space,the first curved plane corresponding to the curved movement.

According to such a configuration, the user can recognize objects thatare arranged on a curved plane corresponding to a curved movement, whichis a natural movement of the user, based on the virtual position of theuser in the virtual three-dimensional space. Thus, it becomes easier forthe user to grasp the arrangement of the objects in the virtualthree-dimensional space and the movement of the body of the user whilelinking them to each other. Accordingly, the user can be induced tooperate the objects through a natural, curved movement of his/her body.In addition, as the objects are arranged on the curved planecorresponding to the curved movement of the user in the virtualthree-dimensional space, the objects can be operated in the directionintended by the user based on the curved movement of the user.

The acquisition section may acquire a position of a center part of thebody of the user, and the virtual position of the user may be set basedon the position of the center part.

The acquisition section may acquire an actual distance to the body ofthe user, and a virtual distance from the virtual position of the userto the object may be set based on the actual distance.

The acquisition section may acquire a size of the body of the user, anda virtual distance from the virtual position of the user to the objectmay be set based on the size.

The object may also be arranged on a second curved plane based on thevirtual position of the user, the second curved plane corresponding tothe curved movement. A virtual distance from the virtual position of theuser to the object arranged on the second curved plane may be longerthan a virtual distance from the virtual position of the user to theobject arranged on the first curved plane.

The object may have a front face and side faces, and the object may bearranged such that the front face towards the virtual position of theuser.

The virtual position of the user may be a point in the virtualthree-dimensional space.

The curved movement may be an approximately arcuate movement, and thefirst curved plane may be an approximately spherical plane having thepoint as a center.

The virtual position of the user may be a straight line in the virtualthree-dimensional space.

The curved movement may be an approximately arcuate movement, and thefirst curved plane may be an approximately cylindrical plane having thestraight line as a center.

According to another embodiment of the present disclosure, there isprovided an information processing method including acquiring a curvedmovement of a body of a user as an operation, displaying an object in avirtual three-dimensional space, and executing a process on the objectbased on the acquired operation. The object may be arranged on a firstcurved plane based on a virtual position of the user set in the virtualthree-dimensional space, the first curved plane corresponding to thecurved movement.

According to another embodiment of the present disclosure, there isprovided a program for causing a computer to function as an acquisitionsection configured to acquire a curved movement of a body of a user asan operation, a display control section configured to display an objectin a virtual three-dimensional space, and a process execution sectionconfigured to execute a process on the object based on the acquiredoperation. The object may be arranged on a first curved plane based on avirtual position of the user set in the virtual three-dimensional space,the first curved plane corresponding to the curved movement.

According to the embodiments of the present disclosure described above,a user can issue a desired operation instruction to a displayed objectthrough a natural body movement.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of an informationprocessing device in accordance with the first embodiment of the presentdisclosure;

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the function and configuration of theinformation processing device in accordance with the first embodiment;

FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an arrangement of objects displayed inthe first embodiment;

FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example in which a reference pointis set in accordance with the position of a user in the firstembodiment;

FIG. 5A is a diagram illustrating an example in which a virtual distanceis set in accordance with the position of a user in the firstembodiment;

FIG. 5B is a diagram illustrating an example in which a virtual distanceis set in accordance with the position of a user in the firstembodiment;

FIG. 6A is a diagram illustrating an example in which a virtual distanceis set in accordance with the size of a user in the first embodiment;

FIG. 6B is a diagram illustrating an example in which a virtual distanceis set in accordance with the size of a user in the first embodiment;

FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating an arrangement of objects displayed inthe second embodiment of the present disclosure; and

FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating an arrangement of objects displayed inthe third embodiment of the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present disclosure will bedescribed in detail with reference to the appended drawings. Note that,in this specification and the appended drawings, structural elementsthat have substantially the same function and structure are denoted withthe same reference numerals, and repeated explanation of thesestructural elements is omitted.

The description will be given in the following order.

1. First Embodiment

-   -   1-1. Device Configuration    -   1-2. Display of Objects

2. Second Embodiment

3. Third Embodiment

4. Conclusion

1. First Embodiment

(1-1. Device Configuration)

First, a device configuration in accordance with the first embodiment ofthe present disclosure will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and2.

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of an informationprocessing device 100 in accordance with the first embodiment of thepresent disclosure. Referring to FIG. 1, the information processingdevice 100 causes its display screen 200 to display a virtualthree-dimensional space 210 and objects 220 that are arranged in thevirtual three-dimensional space 210. When a user U moves a body part PI,an acquisition section 110 of the information processing device 110acquires the movement M as an operation. The information processingdevice 100 executes a process on the objects 220 based on the acquiredoperation.

The information processing device 100 can be a device such as a PC, forexample. The information processing device 100 has the acquisitionsection 110. The acquisition section 110 and the display screen 200 ofthe information processing device 100 can be provided as an integralunit as shown or provided separately. In addition, the informationprocessing device 100 can be implemented as a function that is providedby a server on a network connected to the acquisition section 110 andthe display screen 200. The function and configuration of theinformation processing device 100 are described below.

The display screen 200 can be, for example, a device that displays animage on a LCD (Liquid Crystal Display), a PDP (Plasma Display Panel),or an organic EL (Electro-Luminescence) panel. The display screen 200can be integrated with the information processing device 100 as shown orprovided separately from the information processing device 100. Thedisplay screen 200 displays the virtual three-dimensional space 210 andthe objects 220 that are arranged in the virtual three-dimensional space210. The display screen 200 can be replaced with another display devicesuch as, for example, a head mounted display. The display of the objects220 is described below.

Herein, when the information processing device 100 and the displayscreen 200 are integrated, the following case is considered, forexample: the information processing device 100 is a tablet PC and thedisplay screen 200 is its display portion. Alternatively, theinformation processing device 100 can be a television and the displayscreen 200 can be its screen. Meanwhile, when the information processingdevice 100 and the display screen 200 are provided separately, thefollowing case is considered, for example: the information processingdevice 100 is a desktop PC and the display screen 200 is a displayconnected to the PC. Alternatively, the information processing device100 can be a function provided by a server and the display screen 200can be a television that is connected to the server via a network.

The user U operates the objects 220 displayed on the display screen 200through the movement M of the body part P1. Although a hand is shown asthe body part P1 herein, the body part P1 can be another body part ofthe user U such as a left hand, elbow, shoulder, face, knee, or foot.The movement M of the body of the user U is acquired by the acquisitionsection 110 of the information processing device 100. At this time, theacquisition section 110 can acquire the movement M of the body of theuser U by regarding the horizontal direction, the vertical direction,and the depth direction seen from the user U as the x-axis, the y-axis,and the z-axis, respectively.

A movement of a human body is typically based on an approximatelyarcuate movement that is based on a joint as the center. Therefore, inmany eases, the movement M of the body of the user U is captured as amovement in a curved line. For example, a movement of a hand of the userU can be regarded as an approximately arcuate movement that is based ona shoulder of the user U as the center. In this case, unless theposition of the shoulder is moved, a movement path of the hand can becontained in an approximately spherical plane with the shoulder of theuser U as the center. Meanwhile, in this case, if the position of theshoulder is moved in the vertical direction through knee bending andstretching exercises or the like, a movement path of the hand can beregarded as forming an approximate cylindrical plane with the trunk ofthe user U as an axis. As described above, a movement of the user U canbe an approximately arcuate movement that is based on the position of ajoint of the user U, the trunk of the user U, or the center of the bodyof the user U, and a path of the movement of the user U can form a planethat is represented as a set of approximate arcs, such as anapproximately spherical plane or an approximately cylindrical plane.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the function and configuration of theinformation processing device 100 in accordance with the firstembodiment of the present disclosure. Referring to FIG. 2, theinformation processing device 100 includes the acquisition section 110,a display control section 120, a process execution section 130, and astorage section 140. Note that the storage section 140 need notnecessarily be included in the information processing device 100.

The acquisition section 110 acquires a curved movement M of the body ofthe user U as an operation. For example, the acquisition section 110recognizes a body part P1 through an image analysis or the like using amarker attached to the body part P1, a controller gripped by the bodypart P1, or speckle patterns of the body part P1, and further identifiesthe position of the body part P1 using a three-dimensional measurementmethod such as triangulation or TOF. Likewise, the acquisition section110 can acquire the position of the center part P2 of the body of theuser U as described below. Further, the acquisition section 110 canacquire the distance from the display screen 200 to the body of the userU. The acquisition section 110 can also acquire the body size of theuser U. Furthermore, the acquisition section 110 can, in order toacquire an operation such as selection of the object 220 by the user U,acquire the state of the body part P1 such as, for example, whether thehand is clenched or not. In order to implement the aforementionedfunctions, the acquisition section 110 can include a camera or infraredemitting and receiving portions, for example. In addition, theacquisition section 110 can also include a processor for analysis andmeasurement purposes. The functions of the processor can be implementedwith a CPU (Central Processing Unit) described below.

The display control section 120 displays the objects 220 in the virtualthree-dimensional space 210. The display control section 120 causes thedisplay screen 200 to display the virtual three-dimensional space 210and the objects 220 that are arranged in the virtual three-dimensionalspace 210. The display control section 120 can move the objects 220 orchange the display of the objects 220 in accordance with a processexecuted by the process execution section 130. The display controlsection 120 can be, for example, a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit) thatexecutes an arithmetic process for displaying an image. The function ofthe display control section 120 can be implemented with a CPU describedbelow. The display of the objects 220 is described below.

The process execution section 130 executes a process on the objects 220displayed by the display control section 120 based on an operationacquired by the acquisition section 110. A process executed on theobjects 220 can be, for example, a process of selecting one or more ofthe arranged objects 220 based on an operation of the user U, or aprocess of moving one or more of the selected objects 220 based on anoperation of the user U. When a process executed by the processexecution section 130 involves a change of the display such as amovement of the objects 220, the process execution section 130 executesthe process on the objects 220 via the display control section 120. Thefunction of the process execution section 130 can be implemented by aCPU that executes a program stored in the storage section 140.

The storage section 140 stores data used for the processing in theinformation processing device 100. The storage section 140 can be astorage device such as, for example, RAM (Random Access Memory) or ROM(Read Only Memory). Alternatively, the storage section 140 can be aremovable storage medium such as an optical disc, a magnetic disk, orsemiconductor memory, or can be a combination of a storage device and aremovable storage medium. The storage section 140 can store a programfor implementing the function of each section of the informationprocessing device 100 by being executed by the CPU. Such a program canbe either provided by being stored in a removable storage medium or bybeing downloaded from a network via a communication section (not shown),for example.

Note that the aforementioned components of the information processingdevice 100 need not necessarily be included in a single chassis. Forexample, such components can be arranged in different places on anetwork so that the functions of the information processing device 100can be provided via the network in a cooperative manner.

(1-2. Display of Objects)

Next, the display of the objects 220 in accordance with the firstembodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference toFIGS. 3 to 6.

FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an arrangement of the objects 220displayed in the first embodiment of the present disclosure. Referringto FIG. 3, the objects 220 are arranged on a first curved plane 240 thatis an approximately spherical plane having a reference point 230, whichis set in the virtual three-dimensional space 210, as the center.

The virtual three-dimensional space 210 is a virtual three-dimensionalspace displayed on the display screen 200 by the display control section120 of the information processing device 100. The x-axis, the y-axis,and the z-axis are set in the virtual three-dimensional space 210 asshown. The x-axis, the y-axis, and the z-axis can be the horizontaldirection, the vertical direction, and the depth direction,respectively, of the display screen 200. Herein, the movement M of thebody of the user U can be acquired by the acquisition section 110 basedon the horizontal direction, the vertical direction, and the depthdirection seen from the user U as the x-axis, the y-axis, and thez-axis, respectively. That is, a coordinate system corresponding to themovement M of the body of the user U can be set in the virtualthree-dimensional space 210.

The objects 220 are icons displayed in the virtual three-dimensionalspace 210 such as, for example, icons representing music content, moviecontent, or the like, a pointer for selecting the content, and a buttonrepresenting an operation to be executed on the content. Although theobjects 220 herein are shown as approximately plate-like iconsrepresenting content, the objects 220 are not limited thereto. Forexample, the objects 220 can have various shapes such as, for example,hand shaped icons representing pointers. Alternatively, the objects 220can represent processes to be executed by the process execution section130 based on an operation acquired by the acquisition section 110 of theinformation processing device 100. As an example of such processes, theobject 220 can be selected based on an operation of the user U, and theselected object 220 can be moved through an operation of the user U.

Herein, the objects 220 are arranged on the first curved plane 240 thatis an approximately spherical plane having the reference point 230 asthe center. The reference point 230 is a point set as a virtual positionof the user U in the virtual three-dimensional space 210. For example,the reference point 230 can be set as the virtual center of the body ofthe user U. Note that the reference point 230 is not necessarily relatedto the actual viewpoint of the user U. As described above, the movementM of the body of the user U can be regarded as an approximately arcuatemovement that is based on the center of the body of the user U as thecenter. Thus, the first curved plane 240, which is an approximatelyspherical plane having the reference point 230 set as the virtualposition of the user U as the center, is a curved plane corresponding tothe curved movement M of the user U.

The distance from the reference point 230 to each of the plurality ofobjects 220 arranged on such a first curved plane 240 is approximatelyequal. For example, a distance Da to an object 220 a that is located infront of the reference point 230 in the depth direction is approximatelyequal to a distance Db to an object 220 b that is located to the rightof the object 220 a. This means that the objects 220 in the horizontaldirection of the virtual three-dimensional space 210 are arranged not instraight lines in the horizontal direction but in approximately arcuatelines with the reference point 230 as the center. Likewise, the objects220 in the vertical direction of the virtual three-dimensional space 210are arranged not in straight lines in the vertical direction but inapproximately arcuate lines with the reference point 230 as the center.

Note that the virtual distance D from the reference point 230 to eachobject 220 can be a preset value. Alternatively, for example, a functionof adjusting the virtual distance. D in accordance with the length of anarm of the user U can be provided. As a further alternative, the virtualdistance D can be adjusted based on the position, size, or the like ofthe user U.

With the aforementioned arrangement of the objects 220, the user Urecognizes from the display of the display screen 200 that, for example,the objects 220 are arranged corresponding to an approximately arcuatemovement, which is a natural movement, of a hand that is a body part P1.Accordingly, the user U is induced to operate the objects 220 in thehorizontal direction or the vertical direction by making anapproximately arcuate movement, which is a natural movement, of thehand. As the objects 220 are arranged corresponding to an approximatelyarcuate movement of the hand of the user U in the virtualthee-dimensional space 210, the objects 220 can be actually operated inthe horizontal direction or the vertical direction as intended by theuser U through the approximately arcuate movement M performed by theuser as induced.

Each object 220 can have a front face and side faces and can be arrangedsuch that the front face towards the reference point 230. In the exampleshown in the drawing, a hatched portion corresponds to the front face ofeach object 220. By adjusting the direction that each object 220 facesin this manner, it is possible to, when the object 220 is an iconrepresenting a pointer corresponding to a hand of the user U, forexample, allow the icon to be perceived as tilting and thus to feed backthe actual tilt of the hand to the user U. Thus, the user U can easilygrasp a sense of depth of the virtual three-dimensional space 210.

(Setting of Reference Point in Accordance with Position of User)

FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example in which the reference point230 is set in accordance with the position of the user U in the firstembodiment of the present disclosure. Referring to FIG. 4, theacquisition section 110 of the information processing device 100acquires the position of the center part P2 of the body of the user U,and the reference point 230 is set based on the center part P2 of thebody.

Herein, the acquisition section 110 acquires the position of the centerpart P2 of the body of the user U. Although a face is shown as thecenter part P2 of the body herein, the center part P2 of the body can beanother body part of the user U such as a shoulder, knee, or waist. Thedisplay control section 120 sets the position of the reference point 230based on the position of the center part P2 of the body acquired by theacquisition section 110. For example, the display control section 120can set the reference point 230 in the virtual three-dimensional space210 such that its horizontal position corresponds to the position of thecenter part P2 of the body as shown. The display control section 120 canalso set the reference point 230 such that its vertical position in thevirtual three-dimensional space 210 corresponds to the position of thecenter part P2 of the body.

As described above, the first curved plane 240 is set based on thereference point 230, and the objects 220 are arranged on the firstcurved plane 240. When the objects 220 are arranged in the virtualthree-dimensional space 210 in this manner, the user U can recognizethat the objects 220 are arranged in approximately arcuate lines inpositions corresponding to the position of the user U even if the user Uis positioned off the center of the display screen 200. Thus, it becomeseasier for the user U to grasp the arrangement of the objects 220 in thevirtual three-dimensional space 210 and the movement M of the body ofthe user U while linking them to each other. Accordingly, the user U canbe induced to operate the objects 220 through a natural, approximatelyarcuate movement of the body part P1.

(Setting of Virtual Distance in Accordance with Position of User)

FIGS. 5A and 5B are diagrams each illustrating an example in which thevirtual distance D is set in accordance with the position of the user Uin the first embodiment of the present disclosure. Referring to FIGS. 5Aand 5B, the acquisition section 110 of the information processing device100 acquires the actual distance d to the body of the user U. Thevirtual distance D from the reference point 230 to the object 220 is setbased on the actual distance d.

Herein, the acquisition section 110 acquires the actual distance d tothe body of the user U. Although the actual distance d herein is shownas the distance from the display screen 200 to the body of the user U,the actual distance d is not limited thereto and can be, for example,the distance from the acquisition section 110 to the body of the user U.The display control section 120 sets the virtual distance D from thereference point 230 to the object 220 arranged on the first curved plane240 based on the actual distance d acquired by the acquisition section110.

For example, FIG. 5A shows a case in which the actual distance d fromthe display screen 200 to the body of the user U is relatively long. Inthis case, the display control section 120 sets the virtual distance Dfrom the reference point 230 to the object 220 arranged on the firstcurved plane 240 to a relatively large value. That is, the objects 220are displayed such that they look far away in the virtualthree-dimensional space 210.

Meanwhile, FIG. 5B shows a case in which the actual distance d from thedisplay screen 200 to the body of the user U is shorter than that shownin FIG. 5A. In this case, the display control section 120 sets thevirtual distance D from the reference point 230 to the object 220arranged on the first curved plane 240 to a value smaller than thatshown in FIG. SA. That is, the objects 220 are displayed such that theylook closer in the virtual three-dimensional space 210 than those shownin FIG. 5A.

Although the x-z plane is shown for simplicity herein, the virtualdistance D can also include components in the y-axis direction in thevirtual three-dimensional space 210 as shown in FIG. 3.

When the objects 220 are arranged with the virtual distance D set asdescribed above, the user U recognizes, for example, that as he/she getscloser to the display screen 200, the objects 220 are displayedgradually closer to him/her as if the objects 220 are surroundinghim/her. Thus, it becomes easier for the user U to easily grasp thearrangement of the objects 220 in the virtual thee-dimensional space 210and the movement M of the body of the user U while linking them to eachother. Accordingly, the user U can be induced to operate the objects 220through a natural, approximately arcuate movement of the body part P1.

(Setting of Virtual Distance in Accordance with Size of User)

FIGS. 6A and 6B are diagrams each illustrating an example in which thevirtual distance D is set in accordance with the size of the user U inthe first embodiment of the present disclosure. Referring to FIGS. 6Aand 6B, the acquisition section 110 of the information processing device100 acquires the body size S of the user U, and the virtual distance Dfrom the reference point 230 to the object 220 is set based on the sizeS.

Herein, the acquisition section 110 acquires the body size S of the userU. The size S can be, for example, the length of the body of the user Uin the horizontal direction as shown. The size S can be various sizes ofthe body of the user U such as the length of the body of the user U inthe vertical direction, the size of a hand, or the length of an arm. Thedisplay control section 120 sets the virtual distance 1) from thereference point 230 to the object 220 arranged on the first curved plane240 based on the size S acquired by the acquisition section 110.

For example, FIG. 6A shows a case in which the body size S of the user Uis relatively large. In this case, the display control section 120 setsthe virtual distance D from the reference point 230 to the object 220arranged on the first curved plane 240 to a relatively large value. Thatis, the objects 220 are displayed such that they are arranged in anapproximately arcuate line with a large radius in the virtualthree-dimensional space 210.

Meanwhile, FIG. 6B shows a case in which the body size S of the user Uis smaller than that shown in FIG. 6A. In this case, the display controlsection 120 sets the virtual distance D from the reference point 230 tothe object 220 arranged on the first curved plane 240 to a value smallerthan that shown in FIG. 6A. That is, the objects 220 are displayed suchthat they are arranged in an approximately arcuate line with a smallerradius than that shown in FIG. 6A.

Although the x-z plane is shown for simplicity herein, the virtualdistance D can also include components in the y-axis direction in thevirtual three-dimensional space 210 as shown in FIG. 3.

When the objects 220 are arranged with the virtual distance D set asdescribed above, the user U recognizes that the objects 220 aredisplayed close to the user U as if the objects 220 are surroundinghim/her in a radius that corresponds to the body size S of the user U.Thus, it becomes easier for the user U to grasp the arrangement of theobjects 220 in the virtual three-dimensional space 210 and the movementM of the body of the user U while linking them to each otherAccordingly, the user U can be induced to operate the objects 220through a natural, approximately arcuate movement of the body part P1.

2. Second Embodiment

Next, the second embodiment of the present disclosure will be describedwith reference to FIG. 7. The second embodiment of the presentdisclosure differs from the first embodiment in the arrangement of thedisplayed objects. However, the other functions and configurations areapproximately the same as those of the first embodiment. Thus, detaileddescription thereof is omitted herein.

FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating an arrangement of the objects 220displayed in the second embodiment of the present disclosure. Referringto FIG. 7, the objects 220 are also arranged on a second curved plane250 corresponding to a curved movement of the user U, based on thereference point 230. A virtual distance D2 from the reference point 230to the object 220 arranged on the second curved plane 250 is longer thanthe virtual distance D1 from the reference point 230 to the object 220arranged on the first curved plane 240.

The second curved plane 250 can be an approximately spherical planehaving the reference point 230 as the center as with the first curvedplane 240. The display control section 120 of the information processingdevice 100 can display the objects 220 on the first curved plane 240 andthe objects 220 on the second curved plane 250 in an overlapped mannerin the virtual three-dimensional space 210. For example, the firstcurved plane 240 and the second curved plane 250 can be selectively usedsuch that when the objects 220 are icons representing content, iconsrepresenting the frequently viewed content are displayed on the firstcurved plane 240 and icons representing the less frequently viewedcontent are displayed on the second curved plane 250.

When the objects 220 are arranged in an overlapped manner using thefirst curved plane 240 and the second curved plane 250 as describedabove, it becomes possible to display more objects 220 in the virtualthree-dimensional space 210. Meanwhile, the user U can cause the objects220 to be displayed farther from him/her by hand moving away fromhis/her body, and can cause the objects 220 to be displayed closer tohim/her by hand moving closer to his/her body. Accordingly, the user Ucan perform an operation of, for example, interchanging the objects 220on the first curved plane 240 and the objects 220 on the second curvedplane 250 more intuitively.

Note that the setting of the reference point 230 in accordance with theposition of the user U, the setting of the virtual distance D inaccordance with the actual distance d to the body of the user U, and thesetting of the virtual distance D in accordance with the size S of theuser U that have been described in the first embodiment can be similarlyapplied in this embodiment. In this case, the display control section120 increases or reduces the virtual distance D1 from the referencepoint 230 to the object 220 arranged on the first curved plane 240 andthe virtual distance D2 from the reference point 230 to the object 220arranged on the second curved plane 250. The virtual distances D1 and D2can be increased or reduced with a predetermined ratio kepttherebetween, for example, or increased or reduced independently of eachother.

3. Third Embodiment

Next, the third embodiment of the present disclosure will be describedwith reference to FIG. 8. The third embodiment of the present disclosurediffers from the first embodiment in the arrangement of the displayedobjects. However, the other functions and configurations areapproximately the same as those of the first embodiment. Thus, detaileddescription thereof is omitted herein.

FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating an arrangement of the objects 220displayed in the third embodiment of the present disclosure. Referringto FIG. 8, the objects 220 are arranged on a first curved plane 340 thatis an approximately cylindrical plane having a reference line 330 set inthe virtual three-dimensional space 210 as the center.

The reference line 330 is a straight line set as the virtual position ofthe user U in the virtual three-dimensional space 210. The referenceline 330 can be set as, for example, a straight line corresponding tothe virtual body axis of the user U. Note that the reference line 330 isnot necessarily related to the actual viewpoint of the user U. Asdescribed above, the movement M of the body of the user U can be anapproximately arcuate movement that is based on the body axis of theuser U as the center. Thus, in the virtual three-dimensional space 210,the first curved plane 340 that is an approximately cylindrical planehaving the reference line 330, which is set as the virtual position ofthe user U, as the center is a curved plane corresponding to the curvedmovement M of the user U based on the reference line 330.

The distance from a point on the reference line 330 to each of theplurality of objects 220, which are arranged in the same verticalposition of the first curved plane 340, is approximately equal. Forexample, a distance Dc from a point 335 on the reference line 330 to anobject 220 c is approximately equal to a distance Dd from the point 335on the reference line 330 to an object 220 d that is positioned at thesame vertical position as the object 220 c. This means that thearrangement of the objects 220 in the horizontal direction seen from theuser U is not a straight line in the horizontal direction but anapproximately arcuate line with a point on the reference line 330 as thecenter.

Although the reference line 330 herein is shown as a straight line inthe vertical direction of the virtual three-dimensional space 210, thereference line 330 is not limited thereto and can be any straight lineset as the virtual position of the user U. For example, the referenceline 330 can be a straight line in the horizontal direction of thevirtual thee-dimensional space 210. In that case, the reference line 330can be set as a line that connects the virtual right and left shouldersof the user U.

With the aforementioned arrangement of the objects 220, the user Urecognizes from the display of the display screen 200 that, for example,the objects 220 are arranged corresponding to an approximately arcuatemovement, which is a natural movement, of a hand that is a body part P1.Accordingly, the user U is induced to operate the objects 220 in thehorizontal direction by making an approximately arcuate movement, whichis a natural movement, of the hand. As the objects 220 are arrangedcorresponding to an approximately arcuate movement of to the hand of theuser U in the virtual thee-dimensional space 210, the objects 220 can beactually operated in the horizontal direction as intended by the user Uthrough the approximately arcuate movement M performed by the user asinduced. Meanwhile, the objects 220 are arranged in straight lines inthe vertical direction. For example, when the objects 220 are frequentlyoperated in the horizontal direction of the virtual three-dimensionalspace 210 with a function provided by the information processing device100, arranging the objects 220 in straight lines in the verticaldirection in which the objects 210 are not frequently operated will makeit possible to display the virtual three-dimensional space 210 thatprovides a sense of stability to the user U.

Note that the setting of the reference point 230 in accordance with theposition of the user U, the setting of the virtual distance D inaccordance with the actual distance d to the body of the user U, and thesetting of the virtual distance D in accordance with the size S of theuser U that have been described in the first embodiment can be similarlyapplied in this embodiment. In this case, consider a plane that isperpendicular to the reference line 330 like the x-z plane of when thereference line 330 is a straight line in the y-axis direction. Then, itis possible to set the arrangement of the objects 220 by handling thereference line 330 in the same manner as the reference point 230 in thefirst embodiment.

In addition, in this embodiment, it is also possible to set a secondcurved plane in addition to the first curved plane 340 and also arrangethe objects 220 on the second curved plane as in the second embodiment.In such a case, the second curved plane can be an approximatelycylindrical plane having the reference line 330 as the center as withthe first curved plane 340.

4. Conclusion

In the aforementioned embodiment of the present disclosure, theacquisition section 110 can acquire the position of the center part P2of the body of the user U, and the reference point 230 or the referenceline 330 can be set based on the position of the center part P2.According to such a configuration, the arrangement of the displayedobjects 220 can be made to correspond to the position of the user U whois located opposite the display screen 200. Therefore, it is possible tomake the user U grasp the arrangement of the objects 220 in the virtualthree-dimensional space 210 and the movement M of the body of the user Uwhile linking them to each other more effectively and to induce the userU to operate the objects 220 through a natural, curved movement ofhis/her body.

In the aforementioned embodiment of the present disclosure, theacquisition section 110 can acquire the actual distance d to the body ofthe user U, and the virtual distance D from the reference point 230 orthe reference line 330 to the object 220 can be set based on the actualdistance d. According to such a configuration, it is possible to varythe distance to the object 220 in the virtual three-dimensional space210 according to whether the user U is located close to or far from thedisplay screen 200. Therefore, it is possible to make the user U graspthe arrangement of the objects 220 in the virtual three-dimensionalspace 210 and the movement M of the body of the user U while linkingthem to each other more effectively and to induce the user U to operatethe objects 220 through a natural, curved movement of his/her body.

In the aforementioned embodiment of the present disclosure, theacquisition section 110 can acquire the body size S of the user U, andthe virtual distance D from the reference point 230 or the referenceline 330 to the object 220 can be set based on the size S. According tosuch a configuration, it is possible to vary the distance to the object220 in the virtual three-dimensional space 210 according to the bodysize S of the user. That is, for a user U with a relatively large body,the objects 220 can be displayed in a position relatively far fromhis/her in the virtual three-dimensional space 210, and for a user Uwith a relatively small body like a child, the objects 220 can bedisplayed in a position relatively close to his/her in the virtualthree-dimensional space 210. For example, when the user U intends tomove the objects 220 by moving his/her hand, the objects 220 can bearranged in a position corresponding to the length of the arm of theuser U. Therefore, it is possible to make the user U grasp thearrangement of the objects 220 in the virtual three-dimensional space210 and the movement M of the body of the user U while linking them toeach other more effectively and to induce the user U to operate theobjects 220 through a natural, curved movement of his/her body.

In the aforementioned embodiment of the present disclosure, the objects220 can also be arranged on the second curved plane 250, whichcorresponds to the curved movement M, based on the reference point 230or the reference line 330. In addition, the virtual distance D2 from thereference point 230 or the reference line 330 to the object 220 arrangedon the second curved plane 250 can be longer than the virtual distanceD1 from the reference point 230 or the reference line 330 to the object220 arranged on the first curved plane 240. According to such aconfiguration, it is possible to arrange more objects 220 in the virtualthree-dimensional space 210. In addition, the user U can recognize theobjects 220, which are arranged such that they overlap one another in adirection away from the body of the user U, in the virtualthree-dimensional space 210, and can be induced to operate the objects220 in the overlapping direction thereof by making a natural movement ina direction away from the body.

In the aforementioned embodiment of the present disclosure, each object220 can have a front face and side faces, and arranged such that thefront face towards the reference point 230 or the reference line 330.According to such a configuration, the user U can easily grasp a senseof depth of the virtual three dimensional space 210.

In the aforementioned embodiment of the present disclosure, the virtualposition of the user U can be set as the reference point 230 in thevirtual three-dimensional space 210. According to such a configuration,it is possible to make the user U link the arrangement of the objects220 to the movement M of the body of the user U in each of thehorizontal direction and the vertical direction and to induce the user Uto operate the objects 220 through a natural, curved movement of his/herbody.

In the aforementioned embodiment of the present disclosure, the curvedmovement M can be an approximately arcuate movement, and the firstcurved plane 240 can be a spherical plane having the reference point 230as the center. In addition, the second plane 250 can also be anapproximately spherical plane like the first curved plane 240. Accordingto such a configuration, it is possible to arrange the objects 220 onthe first curved plane 240 or the second curved plane 250 thatcorresponds to an approximately arcuate movement, which is a naturalbody movement, of the user U in the vertical direction and thehorizontal direction such as, for example, an approximately arcuatemovement of a hand of the user U with his/her shoulder as the center.

In the aforementioned embodiment of the present disclosure, the virtualposition of the user U can be set as the reference line 330 in thevirtual three-dimensional space 210. According to such a configuration,it is possible to make the user U link the arrangement of the objects220 to the movement M of the body of the user U in a specific directionsuch as the horizontal direction or the vertical direction and to inducethe user U to operate the objects through a natural, curved movement ofhis/her body. Meanwhile, arranging the objects 220 in straight lines inthe other directions will make it possible to display the virtualthree-dimensional space 210 that provides a sense of stability to theuser U.

According to the aforementioned embodiment of the present disclosure,the curved movement M can be an approximately arcuate movement, and thefirst curved plane 340 can be an approximately cylindrical plane havingthe reference line 330 as the center. En addition, the second curvedplane can also be an approximately cylindrical plane like the firstcurved plane 340. According to such a configuration, it is possible toarrange the objects 220 on the first curved plane 340 or the secondcurved plane that corresponds to an approximately arcuate movement,which is a natural body movement, of the user U in a specific directionsuch as the vertical direction or the horizontal direction, like anapproximately arcuate movement of a hand of the user U with his/hertrunk as the center, for example.

Although the preferred embodiments of the present disclosure have beendescribed in detail with reference to the appended drawings, the presentdisclosure is not limited thereto. It is obvious to those skilled in theart that various modifications or variations are possible insofar asthey are within the technical scope of the appended claims or theequivalents thereof. It should be understood that such modifications orvariations are also within the technical scope of the presentdisclosure.

For example, although the aforementioned embodiments have illustrated anexample in which each of the first curved plane and the second curvedplane is an approximately spherical plane or an approximatelycylindrical plane, the present disclosure is not Limited thereto. Forexample, each of the first curved plane and the second curved plane canbe another quadric plane that is based on a reference point or areference line such as an elliptical plane, an elliptic paraboloid, anelliptic cylindrical plane, a hyperbolic cylindrical plane, or aparabolic cylindrical plane.

In addition, although the aforementioned embodiments have illustrated anexample in which directions that are perpendicular to the depthdirection are the horizontal direction and the vertical direction, thepresent disclosure is not limited thereto. For example, instead of usingthe horizontal direction and the vertical direction, it is also possibleto use a diagonal direction that extends from the lower left to theupper right and a diagonal direction that extends from the upper left tothe lower right. Such directions need not necessarily be orthogonal withrespect to each other, and can be set as appropriate in accordance witha function provided by the information processing device, for example.

Further, although the aforementioned embodiments have illustrated thefirst curved plane and the second curved plane, the present disclosureis not limited thereto. For example, it is also possible to set a thirdcurved plane for the second curved plane like the second curved planeset for the first curved plane. That is, the number of the curved planeson which the objects are arranged in the virtual three-dimensional spaceis not limited to two and can be any number.

What is claimed is:
 1. An information processing system comprising: adisplay; and at least one electrical circuitry configured to control thedisplay to display first objects in a virtual three-dimensional space,wherein a process is executed on at least one of the first objects basedon a movement of at least one of a head and a hand of a user, each offirst tilted surfaces of the first objects are arranged on a curvedplane in front of a virtual position associated with the head of theuser in the virtual three-dimensional space, each of the first tiltedsurfaces faces toward the virtual position, and the virtual position issubstantially centered with respect to the curved plane.
 2. Theinformation processing system according to claim 1, wherein the curvedplane includes a first curved plane and a second curved plane, the firstcurved plane is arranged above r below the second curved plane, thefirst objects are arranged on the first curved plane, each of the firstcurved plane and the second curved plane extends in a horizontaldirection, second objects are arranged on the second curved plane in thevirtual three-dimensional space, and the number of the first objects islarger than the number of the second objects.
 3. The informationprocessing system according to claim 2, wherein the second curved planeis tilted toward the first curved plane.
 4. The information processingsystem according to claim 3, wherein each of the first curved plane andthe second curved plane is at least a part of a spherical plane.
 5. Theinformation processing system according to claim 1, wherein the curvedplane includes a first curved plane and a second curved plane, the firstobjects are arranged on the first curved plane, the first curved planeextends in a horizontal direction, second objects are arranged on thesecond curved plane in the virtual three-dimensional space, the secondcurved plane extends in a vertical direction, and the first curved planeand the second curved plane intersect with each other in front of thevirtual position.
 6. The information processing system according toclaim 5, wherein each of the second objects has a second tilted surfacefacing toward the virtual position.
 7. The information processing systemaccording to claim 1, wherein the curved plane includes a first curvedplane, a second curved plane and a third curved plane, each of the firstcurved plane, the second curved plane and the third curved plane extendsin a horizontal direction, the first curved plane is arranged betweenthe second curved plane and the third curved plane in a verticaldirection, the first objects are arranged on the first curved plane,second objects are arranged on the second curved plane, and thirdobjects are arranged on the third curved plane.
 8. The informationprocessing system according to claim 7, wherein each of the first curvedplane, the second curved plane, and the third curved plane is at least apart of a cylindrical plane.
 9. The information processing systemaccording to claim 1, wherein the curved plane includes a first curvedplane and a second curved plane, the first objects are arranged on thefirst curved plane, second objects are arranged on the second curvedplane, and the second curved plane is arranged behind the first curvedplane in a depth direction.
 10. The information processing systemaccording to claim 9, wherein an object having higher frequency ofviewing by the user than that of each of the second objects is arrangedas one of the first objects.
 11. The information processing systemaccording to claim 9, wherein the first curved plane is interchangedwith the second curved plane in accordance with a hand gesture input ofthe user.
 12. The information processing system according to claim 11,wherein the hand gesture input is a movement away from the user.
 13. Theinformation processing system according to claim 1, wherein each of thedisplay and the at least one electrical circuitry is at least a part ofa head mounted display.
 14. The information processing system accordingto claim 13, further comprising: a hand-held controller configured toreceive a hand gesture input of the user for executing the process. 15.The information processing system according to claim 13, wherein the atleast one electrical circuitry is further configured to receiveinformation of a shape of the hand of the user from a detecting unit.16. The information processing system according to claim 15, furthercomprising: the detecting unit including at least one of an imagingunit, an infrared emitting unit, and an infrared receiving unit.
 17. Aserver comprising: at least one electrical circuitry configured to: senddisplay information to a display to display first objects in a virtualthree-dimensional space; receive movement information associated with amovement of at least one of a head and a hand of a user; and sendprocess information to execute on at least one of the first objectsbased on the movement information, wherein the first objects arearranged on a curved plane in front of a virtual position associatedwith the head of the user in the virtual three-dimensional space, eachof the first objects has a first tilted surface facing toward thevirtual position, and the virtual position is substantially centeredwith respect to the curved plane.
 18. A non-transitory computer-readablemedium storing instructions that, when executed by at least oneelectrical circuitry, cause the at least at least one electricalcircuitry to execute a method, the method comprising: controlling adisplay to display first objects in a virtual three-dimensional space,the display constituting at least a part of a head mounted display;executing a process on at least one of the first objects based on amovement of at least one of a head and a hand of a user, wherein thefirst objects are arranged on a curved plane in front of a virtualposition associated with the head of the user in the virtualthree-dimensional space, each of the first objects has a first tiltedsurface facing toward the virtual position, and the virtual position issubstantially centered with respect to the curved plane.